where more than 30,000 men, women and children have been massacredbyassadregimeover the past 20 months. violent extremists are flowing into the fight. our ally turkey has been attacked and the conflict threatens stability in the region. america can take pride in the blows that our military and intelligence professionals have inflicted on al qaeda in pakistan and afghanistan including the kill of usama bin laden. these are real achievements won at a high cost. al qaeda remains a strong force however in yemen and somalia, in libya, and other parts of north africa, in iraq and now in syria and other extremists have gained ground across the region. drones and modern instruments of war are important tools in our fight but they are no substitute for a national security strategy for the middle east. the president is fond of saying that the tide of war is receding and i want to believe him as much as anyone else but when we look at the middle east today, with iran closer than ever to nuclear weapons capability, with the conflict in syria threatening to destablize the region and with vio

of the syrian presidentbasharassad, turkeyflip support to the rebels. and now provides a safehane for fighters. >> -- safe haven for fighter fighters. the wail of ambulances signals more wounded rebels coming from life-saving treatment in turkey. much of the ammunition and weapons use in the rebel street to street combat comes across the same border, flowing in to syria. unverifiable amateur video shows the civil war intensifying. with rebels celebrating capture of syrian army checkpoint and commandeering armored personnel carrier. what the larger battle comes increasing death toll. estimated 200 in the past two days. the international community is reluctant to intervene militarily in the syrian civil war but the artillery exchanges between syria and turkey could easily escalate to a regional war. bringing in nato. but it may not end there. as the syrian regime enjoyed uncontinue support from russia and iran. bret? >> bret: leland vittert in our middle east newsroom. thank you. >>> up next, why is the number 716 billion so importantbe in this presidential race? later, the small b

far weheardassadevil,rebels good. now things look much more complicated and more civilians end up dieing from this violence that keeps going back and forth. bill: what are the reports of those killed since this war started? >> reporter: you are talking north of 20,000 people, bill. not only do you have the people killed. you have the civilians and four or five,000 syrian soldiers and syrian rebels killed. but hundreds of thousands of refugees, people who left their homes with only the clothes on their back in turkey. we are now approaching winter up on the northern border of syria. it is going to get very, very tough for these syrian refugees who are now in these tents as winter sets in. we are talking about temperatures now in the 20s. and also snow in the northern mountains in syria. bill: thank you, leland. leland vittert live in jerusalem. jamie: president obama and governor mitt romney are set to square off in their first face-to-face debate. megyn kelly will join us live with new polling. bill: there is a manhunt for the killer of this border patrol agent? arizona. >> he was